The holographic computer’s screen ceaselessly flashed evaluations for Lu Yuan’s technique, Floating Life, As A Dream.

Finally, the computer delivered its verdict.

“Movement Technique: Utterly Perfect Grade!”

Utterly Perfect Grade!

Light-slave Number Three Thousand knew well that the computer’s grading was notoriously harsh. Most techniques barely scraped by with a passing mark; achieving ‘Satisfactory’ was rare, ‘Excellent’ was remarkable, and ‘Perfect’ was almost never seen. Yet, this young man’s movement technique was rated Utterly Perfect Grade!

Utterly! Perfect! Grade!

This was incredible.

Light-slave Three Thousand’s expression darkened. He had never imagined this young man’s move would earn such a rating.

Utterly Perfect Grade Movement Technique!

What civilization-level power created this technique that this youth managed to learn? If he knew this move was not created by some established civilization but by Lu Yuan himself, his holographic computer might instantly crash.

Light-slave Three Thousand immediately commanded the mechanical lifeforms under his control to unleash the Three-Seven-Seven-Seven Grand Array. This formation possessed the power to kill those at the third layer of the World Realm. The resulting soul vibration at that moment was enough to make space itself tremor, and anything within vibrating space could not escape.

The Three-Seven-Seven-Seven Grand Array was truly ultimate.

In that instant, Lu Yuan executed Floating Life, As A Dream once more.

Can the soul explosion that causes spatial tremors—the simultaneous detonation of three thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven Mechanical Ten Thousand Venomous Birds—shatter Floating Life, As A Dream?

The instantaneous spatial tremor made the onlookers’ spirits waver; their distant senses felt violently impacted. But then, they noticed Lu Yuan still standing unharmed. It seemed even the formation that plunged all space into a soul explosion could not harm the Utterly Perfect Grade Floating Life, As A Dream.

This technique was, in itself, monstrously abnormal.

Light-slave Three Thousand hesitated for no reason and unleashed the Five-Zero-Zero-Zero Grand Array. This formation could severely injure someone at the fourth layer of the World Realm. This was not a single moment of spatial tremor, but a simultaneous vibration across every part of space lasting three or four beats—far more terrifying than a momentary shudder.

But Utterly Perfect Grade remained Utterly Perfect Grade. Lu Yuan stood untouched.

Impossible! Light-slave Three Thousand realized this time something was fundamentally wrong. No matter what, he could not injure this youth. This was a soul explosion capable of heavily wounding World Realm Fourth Layer experts, yet it failed to harm Lu Yuan. In truth, a genuine World Realm First Layer expert standing there could defeat Lu Yuan, and Light-slave Three Thousand’s specialized soul explosion—a method built on stacking damage upon damage—could fell World Realm Third and Fourth Layer figures, but it could not touch Lu Yuan utilizing Floating Life, As A Dream, because every strike landed upon him was without impact, and repeated explosions yielded no damage.

However, a genuine World Realm First Layer expert placed here would be entirely different; they could overcome Lu Yuan.

The Mechanical Civilization… was inherently bizarre.

The unique combat methods of the Mechanical Civilization had caused this strange engagement.

“Opponent: Utterly Perfect Grade. Probability of successful subsequent attack: one in ten thousand. Optimal strategy: Flee.” The holographic computer provided the final answer. Seeing this ultimate conclusion, Light-slave Three Thousand did not hesitate, immediately mounting one of the mechanical birds he rode and fleeing amidst the main host.

There were hundreds of thousands of such mechanical birds, and he sat on just one of them, entirely unremarkable, so no one could spot him.

In an instant, these hundreds of thousands of mechanical birds began to scatter, ceasing their confrontation with Lu Yuan.

It must be explained that Light-slave Three Thousand’s self-detonating soul tactics were not infinitely scalable; the maximum limit was just nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine units. Detonating more would not increase the power at all. Of course, these mechanical birds were troublesome enough; they required the essence of the two ancient characters, 'World,' injected by the God of Light. While the Mechanical Civilization excelled at mass production, creating so many demanded a considerable amount of that World essence.

The opponent was fleeing. Looking back, Lu Yuan realized just how monstrous his Floating Life, As A Dream truly was.

At the same time, Lu Yuan noticed that although he had obtained over ten thousand portions of World Power, each portion was too small and infinitesimally slight, making the ten thousand portions collectively less substantial than hoped. Therefore, Lu Yuan didn't hesitate and gave chase, intending to seize more World Power so he would have enough to break through to the World Realm.

Lu Yuan was now full of confidence; fifteen days should be enough time for him to impact the World Realm.

Beside him, Yan Cangtian, clad in white like a sword, paused slightly.

He had been observing Floating Life, As A Dream.

“Very interesting, very powerful, very perfect,” was Tian Jian Yan Cangtian’s evaluation of Lu Yuan’s move.

If Lu Yuan’s previous use of the Azure Saint Sword Dao was merely a slight surpassing on a minor path, then Floating Life, As A Dream was the genuine evidence of Lu Yuan truly surpassing him. A hint of a smile flickered across Yan Cangtian’s perfectly chiseled and handsome face. Very good, Lu Yuan, grow stronger quickly. Strengthening the Way of the Sword doesn't rely on just one person.

Now, Yan Cangtian, Junior Brother Zhou Qingyan, and Lu Yuan were gathered.

In fact, Yan Cangtian had once used a projection to visit the Son of the Sword. If the Son of the Sword was worth cultivating, Yan Cangtian hoped the Way of the Sword could yield a fourth master. But alas, while the Son of the Sword’s aptitude, comprehension, and fortune might qualify him among the top four masters of the Sword Dao, his temperament was lacking.

Yan Cangtian shifted his foot slightly and immediately kept pace with Lu Yuan and the army of Mechanical Ten Thousand Venomous Birds.

He had no intention of interfering; he would watch the spectacle unfold.

The current situation was Lu Yuan chasing the massive flock of Mechanical Ten Thousand Venomous Birds, ceaselessly reaping the lives of the birds along the way. As a result, the World Power in Lu Yuan’s hands grew steadily. At first, it was subtle wisps, so fine they were invisible, detectable only by divine sense; later, they became visible; and then, even as they remained visible, they continuously thickened.

Light-slave Three Thousand cursed his bad luck inwardly. He usually commanded hundreds of thousands of mechanical venomous birds, a force that even experts at World Realm Third or Fourth Layer dared not provoke. He was accustomed to unchecked dominion, yet now, he was being chased by a youth not yet in the World Realm.

As they traveled, the pursuit disturbed many fierce beasts of the Lost Lands.

Take, for example, the beast with five eyes and five legs from earlier. When it first saw Lu Yuan, it marked him as prey. But now, realizing the young man it targeted was capable of chasing hundreds of thousands of Mechanical Ten Thousand Venomous Birds, it was greatly astonished. In its understanding, hundreds of thousands of Mechanical Ten Thousand Venomous Birds were formidable foes it could not afford to offend. Did that mean this young man, whom it considered prey, was even more terrifying than hundreds of thousands of those birds?

Besides it, there were numerous other fierce beasts: one with eight legs like an octopus and a single eye, and another that possessed no physical form, only psychic energy. These beasts vaguely registered Lu Yuan’s image. In the Lost Lands, one must remember the appearance of every bizarre powerhouse; the careless here awaited death.

And it wasn't just the beasts that were disturbed. For instance, along the route, they encountered a group of people shrouded in eerie, cold yin energy, as if they had emerged from the Nine Hells, carrying an aura of the netherworld.

This group hailed from the Netherworld Civilization.

Long ago, there existed a Netherworld Civilization.

That Netherworld Civilization had obtained the four ancient characters—You, Ming, Di, Fu (Nether, Dark, Earth, Underworld)—that erupted from the Gate of Text. However, later, during a great battle, the character Di (Earth) was seized by the Immortal Ancient Civilization, leaving only the three primal characters: You, Ming, and Fu. The Netherworld Civilization possessed many formidable figures.

For example, the one encountering Lu Yuan chasing the hordes of mechanical birds was the Eastern Ghost Emperor, Yu Lei, from the Netherworld Civilization.

Oh? A youth not yet in the World Realm is chasing hundreds of thousands of Mechanical Ten Thousand Venomous Birds into a rout—what is the reason? Could it be that person? Eastern Ghost Emperor sized up Yan Cangtian. He had heard Yan Cangtian’s name; Yan Cangtian was one of the most famous figures in the Lost Lands recently. Wait, this youth in green robes is already extraordinary. Has the Way of the Sword produced another remarkable figure? The Eastern Ghost Emperor couldn't help but recall a legend circulating in the Lost Lands: the relationship between the previous Sword Era and this current era was peculiar, as if this era and the former Sword Era were… The Eastern Ghost Emperor mused, this legend was once considered false, but now it seemed highly likely to be true.

After passing through the Underworld Realm of the Lost Lands, they immediately traversed another perilous place: the Demon Realm. The Demon Realm was another domain within the Lost Lands, a remnant of the Demon Era, which existed eleven epochs prior to the present. Within the Demon Realm, there seemed to be a supremely evil entity, representing the absolute wickedness between heaven and earth.

In fact, in the Lost Lands, there was also the Shaman Realm, a remnant of the Shaman Civilization from two epochs ago.

The Monster Realm, a remnant of the Monster Civilization from eight epochs ago.

And so on—these civilizations were not included in the Central Celestial Dynasty’s five ancient civilizations or thirty general civilizations. Of course, the remnants of these civilizations were extremely few, as the Lost Lands was inherently a difficult place to survive.

During the pursuit, Lu Yuan managed to witness much of the strange scenery of the Lost Lands. Some places, just by looking at them, inspired dread; there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of things far more terrifying than the aura of corruption. However, through this chase, Lu Yuan obtained a sufficient amount of World Power.

“It seems you have acquired enough World Power, and you should stop soon. If you don’t halt, you will enter the territory governed by the Mechanical Realm,” Yan Cangtian said, his hands clasped behind his back. “Your accumulation is nearly complete; you can prepare to impact the World Realm and overcome the World Realm Heavenly Tribulation.”